News and notes about DuPage County, Illinois Democrats and the local Party, podcasts, video feeds, policy discussions, and more.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Pride in the name of love

President Obama just took a huge step forward in the fight for LGBT equality.

This week, pridehe proposed an executive action that would prohibit companies that receive federal contracts from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

That's because it's unthinkable that -- in 2014 -- someone could be fired for who they are or whom they love.

That's why the Senate passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act last year, which would protect all LGBT Americans from workplace discrimination. But Speaker Boehner is blocking it in the House by refusing to take a vote.

It's Pride Month across the country -- a great time to reflect on how far we've come in the fight for equality. In just a few years, we've repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the Defense of Marriage Act has been struck down, and nearly half of all Americans live in states where same-sex couples can now get married.

That's progress, and it's happening whether the opposition likes it or not. We're winning, because there are millions of people like you who are out there fighting for it.

When a state legislature in Arizona voted to make it legal for businesses to refuse service to same-sex couples, people organized and the governor vetoed it. That's the kind of action we need whenever any interest group tries to turn back the clock.

In 2014, discrimination against LGBT Americans shouldn't be legal anywhere -- President Obama and a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Senate have stood up and said that.

By refusing to hold a vote on ENDA, Speaker Boehner is taking a stand, firmly on the wrong side of history.

Call him out -- add your name, and stand up against discrimination today: